This invention relates to a refrigerated storage and display device of the general type having a horizontally open display section along the major portion of at least one side thereof which is maintained cool by a refrigerated, air flow stream passing downwardly through the display section. Devices of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,905,335, issued Sept. 22, 1959 for Storage and Display Device, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,355, issued Feb. 15, 1983 for Dual Refrigerated Display Cabinet. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved multiple pan, dissipator array in the refrigeration system warm air environment which may be formed of a multiplicity of unique, vertically stacked and spaced pans, one beneath the other, and which receives condensate from the refrigeration system for evaporating the same by the flow of warm refrigeration system generated air therethrough and with or without the use of additional heat assistance dependent on the particular system involved. The basic purposes of the improvements of the present invention is the efficient operation of the refrigerated storage and display device while making use of a minimum of valuable energy.
Various forms of refrigerated storage and display devices are commonly used in food supermarkets, the smaller grocery stores and the like. Probably the major purpose thereof is for the display and sale of comestibles such as eggs, spiritous beverages and preserved meats. Furthermore, the most common general form of storage and display device is that having at least one horizontally open display section along the major portion of at least one side thereof, although many will now have opposite side open display sections.
The important point is that this horizontally open display section requires refrigeration by some form of refrigeration unit in order to retain the comestibles displayed therein at the desired temperature. For instance, the refrigeration unit cools a stream of air which is forced downwardly through the horizontally open display section in an air flow path to cool the comestibles therein, the air flow path continuing rearwardly at the display section and finally forwardly ultimately back to its point of origination to begin another cycle downwardly through and cooling the display section. At the same time, the condensate derived from the refrigeration unit must be evaporated and this is done by directing the condensate into some form of dissipator having warm air flowing thereover as generated by the refrigeration unit.
Now it is well known in today's economy that the conservation of energy is an important factor and this is particularly true in refrigerated storage and display devices of the type presently involved. Progressively more efficient refrigeration units are being designed, but an important factor which has not been considered is the dissipator therefor for evaporating the constantly supplied condensate. These prior dissipators according to modern day design have been constructed for making use of a relatively large amount of electricity for heating the same in order to, in turn, heat the constantly supplied condensate for the evaporation of the same. If these dissipators can be re-designed to make use of far less energy and in many cases, no additional energy for the performance of their important function, improvement in the overall design may be accomplished.